Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MSAOM)

The core curriculum of AAAOM is a master’s degree program in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MSAOM), which prepares graduates to competently use acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, Tuina massage, Chinese dietary therapy and other healing modalities from traditional Chinese medicine to accurately diagnose and effectively treat patients. This program meets the standards that enable students to successfully take the acupuncture, Chinese herbology, and Oriental medicine diplomate exams of the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).

The total master’s degree program curriculum of 3180 hours (182 credits) includes 1740 hours of didactic instruction on acupuncture and Oriental medicine, 540 hours of biomedical-related material, and 900 hours of clinical observation and experience. The full-time program is designed to run twelve total trimesters, with fifteen weeks per trimester. The maximum time for program completion is eight years, taking eight credits per trimester minimum. It is also possible to accelerate through the program and complete it in nine trimesters.

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

COURSE CURRICULUM

First Year
First Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
1101	TCM Theory	60	4	4
1102	Meridians	30	2	2
1103	TCM & Chinese Culture	30	2	2
1104	Anatomy & Physiology I	30	2	2
1105	Western Medical Terminology	30	2	2
1106	Surface Anatomy	30	2	2
1107	Tai Chi	30	2	2
1108	Clinical Observation I	30	1	2
	Total	270	17	18

Second Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
1201	TCM Diagnostics I	30	2	2
1202	Point Location I	60	4	4
1203	TCM Pathology	30	2	2
1204	Anatomy & Physiology II	30	2	2
1205	Microbiology	30	2	2
1206	TCM Dietary Therapy I	30	2	2
1207	Healing Qi Gong	30	2	2
1208	Clinic Observation II	30	1	2
	Total	270	17	18

Third Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
1301	TCM Diagnostics II	30	2	2
1302	Point Location II	60	4	4
1303	Clinical Chinese Herbology I	60	4	4
1304	Anatomy & Physiology III	60	4	4
1305	TCM Dietary Therapy II	30	2	2
1306	Clinic Observation III	30	1	2
	Total	270	17	18

Second Year
First Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
2101	TCM Diagnostics III	60	4	4
2102	Acupuncture Prescriptions	60	4	4
2103	Clinical Chinese Herbology II	60	4	4
2104	Western Medical Pathology I	30	2	2
2105	Medical Chinese*	30	2	2
2106	Clinic Observation IV	30	1	2
	Total	240	15	16

Second Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
2201	OSHA/CNT	15	1	1
2202	Acupuncture Techniques	60	4	4
2203	Clinical Chinese Herbology III	60	4	4
2204	CPR/F.A.	15	1	1
2205	Western Medicine Pathology II	30	2	2
2206	Clinic Observation V	30	1	2
	Total	210	13	14

Third Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
2301	TCM Treatment Principles	30	2	2
2302	Auricular Acupuncture	30	2	2
2303	Chinese Herbal Formulas I	60	4	4
2304	Western Physical Assessment	60	4	4
2305	Medical Tuina	30	2	2
2306	Clinic Observation VI	30	1	2
	Total	240	15	16

Third Year
First Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
3101	TCM Internal Medicine I	60	4	4
3102	TCM Neurology	30	2	2
3103	Chinese Herbal Formulas II	60	4	4
3104	Western Internal Medicine	60	4	4
3105	Adv. Acupuncture Techniques*	30	2	2
3106	Clinical Practice I	120	4	8
	Total	330	18	22

Second Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
3201	TCM Internal Medicine II	60	4	4
3202	Musculo-Skeletal Disorders in TCM	30	2	2
3203	Chinese Herbal Formulas III	60	4	4
3204	Pediatric Tuina	30	2	2
3205	Scalp & Hand Acupuncture	30	2	2
3206	Clinical Practice II	120	4	8
	Total	330	18	22

Third Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
3301	TCM Dermatology	30	2	2
3302	Chinese Patent Medicine	30	2	2
3303	Survey of Health Care System	30	2	2
3304	Lab Data Reading	30	2	2
3305	Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Med*	30	2	2
3306	Clinical Practice III	120	4	8
	Total	240	12	16

Fourth Year
First Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
4101	TCM Gynecology/Obstetrics	60	4	4
4102	Febrile Diseases	30	2	2
4103	Western Gynecology/Pediatrics	30	2	2
4104	TCM Geriatrics	30	2	2
4105	Board Review	30	2	2
4106	Clinical Practice IV	120	4	8
	Total	270	14	18

Second Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
4201	TCM Psychology	30	2	2
4202	Western Pharmacology	30	2	2
4203	Medical Referral	30	2	2
4204	TCM Counseling	30	2	2
4205	Adv. Herbal Prescriptions*	30	2	2
4206	Clinical Practice V	120	4	8
	Total	240	12	16

Third Trimester

Course #	Course Title	Hours	Credits	Hours/Week
4301	TCM Cases Studies	30	2	2
4302	TCM Pediatrics	30	2	2
4303	Practice Management	30	2	2
4304	Ethics, Legal & Professional Issues	30	2	2
4305	Sensory Organ Disorders in TCM*	30	2	2
4306	Clinical Practice VI	120	4	8
	Total	240	12	16

In order to complete the program, 180 hours of clinical observation are required during the first six trimesters, and 720 hours of clinical practice are required during the remaining six trimesters, during which students must complete at least 360 treatment sessions including at least 72 new patients.